Attend our 13th Annual Canstruction Competition, Oct. 6, 2018

For the 13th year competing teams, lead by architects builders and allied design and engineering professionals, will showcase their talents by designing giant sculptures made entirely out of canned foods. Canstruction® combines the competitive spirit of a design/build competition with a unique way to help feed hungry people.

Place the cans in the shopping cart in front of each can-structure! All cans will be donated to the Hawaii FoodBank to help feed our less fortunate communities.

Hunger affects thousands in our community - a reality we sometimes wish was fiction. This year’s Canstruction competition hopes to reach the next level in our fight against hunger. Our “Comic-CAN” theme focuses on ideas that stem from comic books, science fiction & fantasy, and gaming. Teams within Hawai’i’s design and construction industry are encouraged to bring to life their own unique Canstruction creations. Rush to grab a spot to design and build structures that reflect larger-than-life characters, inspirational stories, and fantastical worlds that harness our imaginations and feed those in need.

Register Your Team for 2018

Who CAN Participate? ALL in the Design and Building Industries can potentially participate in this community service project i.e. architects, engineers, contractors, and other design-related professionals.

2017 CANstruction® Raised 24,494 lbs for the Hawaii FoodBank

Over the past 12 years 377,042 pounds of food has been raised to help feed the hungry in Hawaii – providing 295,766 meals.

The theme for our 12th Annual CANstruction® Competition took place on September 30 at Pearlridge Center's Uptown Center Court. The theme was "Browse a Library of CANstructures!" and in that spirit, 11 amazing teams of talented local architects, engineers and allied design professionals “canstructed” giant structures made entirely of thousands of cans of food. All cans were donated to the Hawaii Foodbank and in 2017 our competition raised a total of 24,494 pounds of food, which equals to 19,286 meals to feed Hawaii’s hungry!

2017 Canstruction® Award Recipients & Distinguished Entrants

BEST ORIGINAL DESIGN“Quoth the Raven, “Hunger…Nevermore”
[Edgar Allen Poe]
by WATG

DISTINGUISHED ENTRANT "Together We CAN School Hunger"
by ADM Retail Planning
& Architecture

DISTINGUISHED ENTRANT "It’s not about what it is, it’s about
what it CAN become” [The Lorax]
by Next Design

DISTINGUISHED ENTRANT "We’re Not in CANsas Anymore!"
by WSP

CANstruction Keiki Corner

A Kids Can Corner structure was also created today by AIA Honolulu member-architects, allied design professionals and hundreds of island keiki who brought at least five cans of food as a donation to the Hawaii Foodbank. Scores of kids helped to build Rapunzel and her tower – from the Grimm Brothers’ classic – in this keiki building zone.

The Kids Can Corner structure also participates as part of Canstruction® competition and may receive votes through canned-food donations, though it was not judged for juried awards by the panel.

View Images from Past Winners & Entrants

Canstruction® is Trademarked by the Society for Design Administration

What is Canstruction? Competing teams, lead by architecture firms, allied designers and engineering and construction professionals will design and build structures by using canned goods and other non-perishable foods.

Structures, ranging in size from 1,000 to 13,000 cans, are created by stacking a variety of can sizes and shapes using the product labels as the color pallete. Structurally self-supporting, the only other materials to be used are 1/4inch leveling, cardboard, tape, rubber bands and wire. At the close of the exhibitions all of the food used in the structures is donated to the Hawaii Foodbank.

Canstruction® is a national community service program trademarked and created by the Society for Design Administration (SDA) on behalf of the design and construction industry. The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Honolulu Chapter, working in tandem with the other members of the design and construction industry presents the annual Canstruction® competition in Hawaii.

Canstruction® is a design/build competition currently held in cities throughout North America. Click here to visit the official Canstruction® web site hosted by SDA and view photos of other cities' winners.

Media Requests

Photos of the AIA Honolulu Canstruction® competion are available for media purposes by contacting AIA Honolulu.